WHAT ARE MICROBIALS IN HEMP AND CANNABIS?

My hemp crop is going to be ready in the fall, I have 5 acres and it’s my first year growing. How much are you going to pay me for it to make CBD oil?” Asks a local hemp farmer to us, a processor in Virginia.

“Okay first off, we will need your microbial test report once it’s dried and harvested.” We respond in hopes to keep our end products safe and verify we buy only high quality hemp. 

“…What’s that?” Asks the farmer.

If you find yourself asking this as well, you will need to educate yourself on the topic now. It’s one of the most overlooked topics for farmers getting into hemp that also has dangerous consequences if not paid attention to.  This information is paramount to the success of selling your crop, producing safe products for the public/for sale, and standing out in a saturated market.

First off let’s explain Microbials. Microbials itself can be confusing because it refers to both the good and the bad miniscule substances. We always refer to the bad when wanting a test as they can be life threatening over time if consumed or immediately dangerous depending on the Microbial. 

When referring to bad Microbials we’re always talking about two things: Mycotoxins and Endotoxins. Mycotoxins can be simply put as any fungus that can harm an individual when consumed. Now Cannabis being a high smoking market, as well as consumable through Oils and edibles, watching out for these is vital. Now it doesn’t always take a microscope to know if you have Mycotoxins. There are 3 that we always look out for Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Botrytis. All three contain multiple carcinogens.                                                                                                            

Aspergillus is simply put as Powdery mildew. It is the most concerning of the fungi as it contains the most harmful carcinogenic toxins and is one of the most common blights to cannabis. As with all fungi it can infect the soil and the plant, giving you a double hit of both being on and in the plant. All the fungi listed do damage to the lungs and liver if ingested.  Powdery mildew will commonly look like your plant was sprinkled with flour; the white is really the spores of the fungi. Hemp Marketplace